The Prime Minister, while meeting the employees of a Tver factory, reassured them that the financial crisis would not last as long as the Finance Minister predicts.
It has become a tradition for Mr Putin to meet with the employees of businesses hit by the crisis. Yesterday's talk with the employees of the Tver Railway Carriage Factory (TVZ) had the usual format: factory employees sat in a circle around Putin, who sat in a swivel office chair.
"Your region and your factory have many problems, but I hope you won't burden me with all of them today," said Mr Putin smiling.
However, the factory workers decided not to spare Mr Putin, and told him all their pent-up grievances.
The Tver Railway Carriage Factory is the biggest factory of its kind in Europe. Several years ago, it agreed to supply rolling stock to Russian Railways to renew their fleet. The factory was modernised, and ran up a huge debt in the process. And then the financial crisis broke out. Russian Railways scaled back its plans, and the debts had to be paid back. The plant switched to a three-day workweek and laid off more than a thousand employees.
"Mr Putin, to put it crudely, you are the state," an angry factory worker began.
"No, the state is all of us," the Prime Minister corrected him.
"In that case let us resume the state order, give money to Russian Railways so that they could buy our rolling stock", one of the factory workers suggested.
"The metallurgists are also asking us to buy all their metal for the state reserve," Mr Putin retorted. "We cannot buy everything, we would ruin the budget."
"But our railway carriages are old and the Olympics are just around the corner. Surely we are not going to buy railway carriages from the Chinese?" asked the factory workers.
"I gave orders not to buy from China, although some had intended to," Mr Putin replied.
One factory representative suggested giving credits to neighbouring countries to enable them to buy rolling stock. Mr Putin liked the suggestion very much. However, the factory workers were not only concerned about their own plant.
"Our City Duma is a bunch of clowns from a travelling circus," one factory worker said. "You appoint governors, perhaps you could also appoint mayors? It's a disgrace..."
"I agree. But there are problems connected with international obligations," Mr Putin replied.
"You mean democracy?"
"That too," the Prime Minister replied significantly.
"Tell us why the nuclear plant in our region cannot cut energy prices for our people to support us in time of crisis which may last 10 to 20 to 50 years, according to Mr Kudrin?" the factory workers asked.
"Alexei Kudrin is under some stress," Mr Putin replied, suppressing a smile. "He is under great pressure. He is trying to fight back. I don't think we will experience the problem that long."
Towards the end of the meeting, Mr Putin promised that the mortgage and consumer loans taken out by the factory workers would be rescheduled. The factory would also get help with its credits. The Prime Minister also promised that the Government would allocate three billion roubles to buy additional rolling stock.
"Come to us in some six months to see whether the money has reached us," one of the factory workers said.
"By all means," Mr Putin promised.
Tver
Nigina Beroyeva